My Name Is Tom
by XxUrBadLuckCharmxX
Summary: 1 generation after Lord Voldemort has been defeated, a new nemesis rises from his ashes. Only, he's not so new. Between school dances, new threats, crushes, betrayals and lies, and a plot to take Hogwarts, the new Hogwartians may have met their match. OC
1. A Prologue, Of Sorts

Disclaimer: I do not own HP, no matter how much I wish. I am not the Queen.

A/N: So here's the beginning of my story. It's too short to be a chapter itself and it's too long to fit into the first chapter, so I'm putting it as a prologue of sorts. It's about a group of 3 girls, (But mostly focused around 1) Who are growing up in the next generation of Hogwarts. Only, Voldemort's back - as Tom Riddle. (Explanation below) Also, it's never mentioned what colour his eyes are, so I'm taking liberties. Reviews, comments, questions, and snide remarks are welcome!

*Begin*

Voldemort's back, and even better than before.

A sleeper-cell, activated in the midst of the Light forces, traveled back in time and took DNA of Tom Riddle and then cloned him - giving him every memory Tom had, but with an unexpected twist. The new Tom Riddle can feel emotions (which he was unable to do before, as per the effects of the Love Potion) which makes him incredibly dangerous, possibly even more so. He's also come into possession of the Cristallo Di Puro (Crystal of Pure) of which he twisted the crystals mind and bent it to his will, giving him powers the world has never seen before. Tom's in hiding - but that's about to change, when he sets out to correct the mistake the original Tom Riddle made - harnessing the abundant power of underage witches and wizards, by infiltrating it from inside out. But to do this, he must rot Hogwarts like an apple - from core to skin. And that means going back to his old school, starting over, and doing thing's he never though possible. But things have changed, as Tom's about to find out, and what he does learn could cement his reign as the new Dark Lord forever.

Sitting on the train, on the way to her third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Snow was already having a bad day. Her favorite shirt was missing - James and The Blue Leprechauns, her aunt Ginny's favorite band. She had lost her Astronomy textbook, and Snow was just in a bad mood. So when Caleb Potter pulled open the compartment door, she thought she was going to blow her top.

"Snow."

He said tersely, a mocking tone clearly heard.

"Caleb."

She responded likewise.

"What do you want?"

Caleb smirked, as if he had a wonderful secret to dangle over her head.

"I want what every other guy wants."

Snow rolled her eyes at the implication. God, why were males such pigs.

"Get OUT, Potter! I don't have the patience to deal with you right now and I'm too tired to hex you, so just GO AWAY!"

Caleb raised his eyebrows.

"Fine."

He sniped.

"But I just wanted to drop by and tell you... Gwen, Ev, and Raven are taking turns hexing Hufflepuffs. You should probably take care of that before Seamus gets there. He's on his way now."

"F*ck!"

Snow leaped up from the compartment, ducking around Caleb. She could hear the trademark "Potter" laugh echoing after her as she wove through the stragglers on the train. She sped up as she heard raucous laughter when she neared the self-proclaimed "Hufflepuff" section of the train.

"Crap, crap, crap."

Snow mumbled to herself as she skidded to a stop in front of the door that led to it. Shades were down. This was not good. Snow flung open the door and came face-to-face with Seamus Martin, Hufflepuff Head Boy.

"Hello"

Snow stared at him, mouth gaping like a fish.

"Something wrong?"

He asked kindly, smiling at her.

"Di-did you see Gwen, or Ev? Or Raven?"

Snow asked in a small voice, a very bad feeling sinking in the pit of her stomach.

"No?"

Seamus looked confused.

"I'm pretty sure they're raiding the trolley cart right now, if you're looking for them."

"Uh... Thanks. Sorry to bother you. By the way, are all the Hufflepuff's here, by any chance?"

"Yup! Just did a head count!"

Seamus looked proud.

"Thanks"

Snow muttered weakly, slinking away.

"I have a very bad feeling..."

Snow thought to herself.

When she got back to her compartment, Snow knew she was right.

Snow, Sam, and Lily stared at the train compartment, nasty-looking purple smoke still hovering near the top. The window was wide open, but they could still smell the noxious fumes that seemed to be emitting from the thick clouds.

"What happened?"

Lily choked out. Snow stared at the door, feeling faintly nauseous. It looked like it was just a bad smell, but she was sure there was a far greater twist. Snow moved closer to the compartment and gasped.

Everything in their trunks had been strewn around in the compartment, covered in a thick substance of dark purple goo. The entire place looked like someone had drunk too much grape soda and vomited over everything.

"I don't know."

Sam responded, nearly speechless with shock. Lil had her wand out, trying to hex away the goo, but whatever charms she was using weren't working. Snow swallowed.

"I think I do."

Lily and Sam looked at Snow.

"Caleb came in here, saying that Gwen and her friends were hexing Hufflepuffs and Seamus was on his way… You know how the Headmaster feels about Gwen. I had to stop them. So I ran out, and Caleb was still here when I left…"

"Damn Gwen and her reputation! Caleb knows you have a weak spot for your cousin Snow, you have to be careful!"

"Yah Snow,"

Sam chimed in, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"I mean, really. You got this information from Caleb, of all people. Did you honestly believe that lying scumbag?"

Snow was feeling really tired. She was getting a massive headache, and she just wanted this day to end. She rubbed her temples, trying not to snap at her friends.

"How was I supposed to know? You know how they are. I thought Caleb was just trying to rub it in my face. I didn't really think at all."

"Great job Snow. Keep not thinking and we'll be in a great position, I'm sure."

Snow's headache was growing bigger by the second.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to do this."

Sam mumbled something before flouncing over to a seat.

"Evanesco!"

She muttered, pointing her wand at it. Nothing happened. Sam sighed, and transfiguring a cushion from the hair ribbon she had, sat down.

"This sucks."

Lily had her wand out too, pointing it at various point of the goo and muttering different spells under her breath. She prodded it with one finger, noting how it stuck quite thickly.

"I don't know if we can get rid of it."

"What?"

"I said I don't know how to get rid of it!"

"I know what you said!"

"Then say something useful for a change!"

"Oh a fat lot of help you are right now, anyway!"

"Who was a 'fat lot of help' when you transfigured your bed into a iguana and then couldn't change it back, huh?"

"I would've changed it back!"

"Or what about when

"GUYS!"

Snow's headache had reached massive proportions.

"Hey Snakesssss, what's the yelling about?"

Gwen popped in, her trademark smirk clear on her face.

"YOU!"

Everybody jumped as Snow rocketed to her feet. She had finally snapped. All this damn yelling and bickering and for god's sake why did Gwen have to be so loud! Why did Gwen have to be so Gwen! Caleb knew Gwen was a troublemaker, and it was all Gwen's fault that her stuff looked like the creature of the Black Lagoon upchucked over it! A little voice in the back of Snow's head said that she was just blaming Gwen because it was an easy answer, but she ignored it as she blew up.

"YOU caused this mess. YOU cause everything. YOU are the cause of the yelling. It's always YOU, ISN'T IT GWEN?"

Everyone stared, shell-shocked, at Snow, who was bright red in the face.

"Geez."

Gwen muttered, her face cold and closed off.

"Sorry I bothered stopping by. Here's your favorite chocolate, muggle-style. I smuggled it in for you. Figured you'd want it to cool you down from the obnoxious ride to the station. Sorry I interrupted."

Gwen tossed a bar of chocolate onto Snow's lap and slammed the door shut, flouncing away with Ev and Raven. Snow looked down at the chocolate, feeling sick to her stomach once again.

"Oh my god."

Tears began to well in her eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Shut it, Lily."

Snow collapsed onto the seat, not even caring it was covered in glop.

"It really wasn't her fault."

"I know, Lily."

"So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Snow knew what she meant, she just had to hear Lily say it.

"Go after her! Snow, your cousin is very special to you and she loves you. You just hurt her, alot. You know how temperamental she is."

Snow sighed, and tried to pull herself up.

"Come on Snow, go after her!"

"I'm trying! It's this goo - I think I'm stuck!"

Snow looked at Lily. Lily looked at Sam. Sam looked at Snow. Then they all burst into giggles.

"Alright, alright, now we got the Hallmark moment over, can we figure out how to get rid of this stuff?"

"Hallmark?"

"Ugh, nevermind. You purebloods."

Sam made a face at Lily and giggled.

"We could try burning it?"

Sam suggested half-heartedly, after the giggles subsided once again.

"And burn our stuff? That's preposterous."

"It was just a suggestion"

Sam grumbled quietly.

"Hmmmm"

Lily intoned thoughtfully. After a moment of thought, she pulled out her wand, and waved it in one long, sweeping motion, with a flourish at the end. Immediately the glop seemed to suck in on itself, disappearing rapidly. Sam sighed, used to Lily's feats of magic. Snow sat up, flexing and checking over herself for any goop, while Sam and Lily began packing stuff away. Using both arms and wands, they managed to pack everything in record time. Snow turned to Lily and Sam, a worried expression on her face.

"I'm going to have to go apologize to Gwen, aren't I?"

Lily was about to say something, but Sam cut her off.

"Not right now, we're almost at Hoggy-warts!"

Sam whooped and pulled on her ropes, fixing the green and silver crest. Snow and Lily pulled their's on too, and stowing their wands in their pockets, walked out to join the rest of the students exiting the train.

Snow smiled as she walked out into the cool night air, breathing in deeply. This year was going to be interesting, she thought to herself. If everything that happened on the train was just an indicator, then this should be one hell of a year. She looked to her left and saw a tall boy, rather handsome, with striking dark blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was staring at Hogwarts like an old friend and a new stranger. She smiled at him, tapping him on the shoulder. He seemed startled, as if having been sucked from a daydream.

"Hello"

She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Hello"

His voice was smooth, almost musical, a bit throaty.

"Caught in a daydream, were you?"

He laughed slightly.

"Yes, fond memories of home. What's your name?"

He was charming, she thought to herself, and quite handsome. He was the type of guy likely to have straight O's and be top of his class, he was going places. He looked ambitious and wealthy and Snow decided she liked him right away.

"Snow Black. Yours?"

"Tom. Tom Riddle."

Finite.

**Kisses and Cupcakes To Anyone Who Reviews**


	2. Attitudes, Checkmate, And Dark Corridors

Disclaimer: I do not own Hp, as I am not the Queen.

A/N: Continuation of My Name Is Tom, Chap 1. Snow Black. Lily Jackson, and Sam Parkinson-Evans are three Slytherin bestfriends who love to live. Yet none of them know how close they are to the next Dark Lord of their generation. This chapter is mostly just to show some interaction between some of the characters, mostly setting the stage. Sorry, nothing real exciting here. Reviews, comments, questions, and snide remarks are welcome!

*Begin*

Snow skipped down the Slytherin corridor, leaving the dungeons in favor of the Great Hall. Breakfast on her first day of being back to Hogwarts, hopefully it was good. Snow slowed down before reaching the Great Hall, now walking and putting on a dignified air. Her robes, sweeping behind her, Snow entered the Great Hall. Sitting at the huge oaken tables, Snow smiled at her other Slytherins. Chirping hello's back at the sleepy nest of snakes, she returned her attention to the food in front of her. Reaching for a glass of pumpkin juice, Snow's hand bumped somebody else's. Snow looked up, and met Tom's eyes.

Dark blue sapphires glimmered at her as Snow's eyes met his. They were a deep, dark dark blue. And they seemed to sparkle with hidden secrets, with a touch of darker tones in them. If Snow was more artistic, she would say his eyes had a touch of darkness in them, like he had been caressed by shadows. But as it is, Snow only thought they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"Good morning"

Snow smiled at Tom, and he smiled back brilliantly, flashing straight pearly whites.

"Morning. So we meet again, Miss Snow. How fared your night? Well, I should hope, m'lady!"

Snow giggled at the silly accent Tom took on, and the Olde English words he used.

"I fared well, my lord."

"Splendid!"

Snow giggled, and Tom smirked slightly.

"You giggle quite a bit, don't you?"

Snow giggled again, laughing at the irony.

"How did you know?"

"I've only talked to you twice, but every time I do you giggle at me!"

"Well I'm sorry!"

Snow pouted, trying to hold in her giggles. Tom smiled at her again, like he knew what she was doing.

"So how are you liking Hogwarts? I assumed you're new, of course, as I've never seen you before."

"Yes, I'm new, and I'm quite liking Hogwarts. I have a great nose for directions, and Hogwarts almost seems to be assisting me. The castle is simply an amazing place. I've managed to find everything on my own - quite a feat, for the first time being in an enchanted castle. Also, everyone is really nice, which is great, especially for someone like me - I've never had alot of friends."

Snow was won over almost immediately. She smiled at Tom, and announced;

"Then I'm your new friend!"

Tom grinned.

"Excellent. You know, you are quite unlike the other Slytherin's. They seem to be friendly, but almost as if they were reserving judgement. I don't mind of course - I'd be doing the same thing. So, I've heard rumors about the Slytherins...?"

Snow rolled her eyes.

"And what mockery of Slytherin house have you heard?"

"Well, that the older levels play flesh games, and the games of power. That you have a inner society, a hierarchy of sorts. Also, in my opinion, even before i was sorted Slytherin was always my preference. Gryffindor is too heroic-sounding, like a bunch of puffed-up prats, Ravenclaw seems like stuffed-up know-it-alls, and Hufflepuff's a bunch of duffers. So, what's your rank?"

Snow gaped at Tom.

"Who'd you hear that from?"

Tom smirked slightly, almost with a malevolent tone to it.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Snow paused, then decided she didn't want to know. She had a feeling she wouldn't find out anyway. She continued.

"Yes, we do play power games and flesh games. I'm a level 5, currently. Though you are level M."

"M?"

"Mud. Any newbie is a Mud Level, unless you are already well-known and welcomed into the fold. There's 7 levels, not including Level M, and The High One."

"The High One?"

"Slytherin Seventh Year, Xavier Zabini. His mother finally brought the Weasley clan back into the pureblood society, though they still are a bit rustic. They're very unused to power or prestige - and money. However, after the war, they had no choice but to ally with us as all our purebloods were decimated and disgraced. Not all the purebloods stood with Voldemort, and some did, though unwillingly. When we won the war, all the purebloods were brought together, and many unlikely families fell in love. This joining created an entirely new hierarchy of pure-blood society, bringing the Zabini clan and the Weasley clan together. Truly, the Weasley clan's fall from grace is hundred-years old gossip. They now hold much power and weight behind their words. Xavier is a prime example of what we call Phoenix Age - in which we rose from the ashes of our forefathers."

Tom nodded to himself, looking thoughtful.

"So, basically, he is the leader of Slytherin?"

"Yes. We all look to him. He's a natural leader, and navigates politics like he was born to do so. His sister is also my cousin's bestfriend. Her and Raven spend every summer at their house, Zabini Manor, which is always filled with something new to do. They hold the most amazing Summer Grand Bash at the manor, every year."

"Interesting. So, I'm currently at Level M?"

"Yes. You will undergo evaluations, after which the Counsel Of Snakes will decide on a rank for you. Normally, you get a rank by factoring in quite a few things - power, blood, prestige, wealth, background, and politics. Also, if it benefits the council, that is a big influence."

"Well obviously. The Counsel, being benefitted, would have much more motive to promote you. However, if you are seen as a threat to undermine them, they need to eliminate any threats. This sounds very simple - very unlike the system at my old academy."

Snow raised her eyebrows. She was dying to ask what kind of system he had been raised to, but refrained. Her stomach growled, and Snow resumed piling breakfast food on her plate.

"So,"

Said Tom, conversationally, after Snow and him had both eaten quite a bit.

"Where are your friends, this Lily and Sam, you spoke of earlier?"

"Yes," Snow mused, almost to herself. "Where are my friends." Snow scanned the Great Hall, hoping to spot them. After finding Lily with her Charms study-buddy at the Ravenclaw table, she realized where Sam was.

"Oh no!" Snow leaped up from the table, eyes wide.

"What?"

Tom jumped to his feet, whipping his wand out immediately.

"Sam! She's still asleep in the dorms! Lily is always early, and I'm usually still in the dorm, so I wake Sam! But I forgot, it's been such a while."

Snow booted out the Great Hall, running down to the dungeons, taking secret passages to get there faster. She screeched to a halt in front of the black stone door that led to the common rooms.

"Cobra Eyes"

She gasped out. The door slid open, and Snow went running upstairs. "Why is it I'm always running lately? Seems I'm always in a rush somewhere" Snow thought to herself.

"Sam! Sam! Get up, we're going to be late!"

Sam, Lily, and Snow were all walking down to Herbology with Professor Neville, when they heard the first bang. A crowd of people came running out of the forest, all yelling their heads off, while a very annoyed Professor Marelle yelled at all of them. Sam snickered at the first years with singed hair, screaming like banshees. Lily only sniffed and continued on, flicking her wand at the note she had written. It folded in on itself, before the camouflage spell took effect and it disappeared. With another flick of her wand it went zooming off to the castle, towards the Transfiguration Wing. Snow ignored Lily and Sam, and continued to write on the parchment. She was writing a letter to Xavier, and the formal address was a part of how she hoped to impress him. She had thought long and hard all morning about Tom - about the type of person he was, possibilities about who he'd become, and among other things, how useful he was to her.

Tom was bound to become someone important, as even Snow could see the ambition and drive in his eyes. But so far, he proved to be an enigma. Tom seemed to be nice enough - a little out of sorts, a bit odd, but she suspected he would soon grow into Slytherin House. He understood the simplicity yet complicated route of Slytherin politics. Snow wondered yet again what kind of system he had grown up with to understand the Counsel of Snakes straight off the bat. He was a Snake, of course, but all the same. Snow scribbled out a sentence and sighed, frustrated. Lily looked over at her and sniffed again.

"What?"

Snow asked, rather irritably.

"Oh nothing. Just thought you would have apologized to Gwen by now, seeing as you crushed her."

"I did not crush her!"

"You yelled your head off at her!"

"I do that all the time."

"Snow. Gwen looks to you for advice alot, and she trusts you. You know how hard little things we take for granted are for her. Just go apologize and things will be fine."

Sam turned, finally looking away from the recently extinguished first years, who were now smoldering gently.

"Lily, lay off. I think that when Snow's ready, she'll apologize. Honestly, I think you took a can of bossiness this morning."

Lily glared at Sam.

"Why must you act so imbecilic! Honestly Sam, act your age, will you not?"

"I'm 14 Lily, not 30. Chill."

"No I will bloody well not! You are both acting completely immature - sometimes I don't understand how I ever came to be friends with you, you moronic prat. You certainly could use a good dose of smart, it might make a difference, but I doubt you have enough brain cells to understand half the words I'm saying!"

Sam gasped, staring at Lily. Then she swung around to face Snow.

"She was hanging out with Dippet at breakfast, wasn't she?"

Snow's eyes went wide, then narrow, as both Sam and Snow turned to Lily.

"Were you?"

Sam demanded, an ugly look on her face. Lily stuck her chin out defiantly.

"Maybe I was."

"You were really hanging out with that asshole?"

"You should be talking - you're always arguing with Mouth. It's like you secretly love him, but don't know how to express it, so you fight with him in the hope of it being flirting. It's pathetic. He hates you because you can't get along with him. You're pathetic for even liking him. He's a Gryffindor, you're a Slytherin, he's not even a Pureblood. Get over yourself. He'd never give you a chance anyway."

Bright patches appeared on Sam's cheeks.

"Snow! Hey, hey Snow!"

The three girls turned away, as Kali Katari came running up to them.

"What are you doing? Herbology's been going on for over 10 minutes now - where have you been?"

Sam snorted derisively and glared at Lily, while Lily only turned to Kali, brown upturned eyes watching them.

"Thanks for reminding us, Kali."

Lily strode off, her auburn hair rippling in the breeze that provided minimal release from the drenching heat. Sam muttered something and strode after Lily, looking rather grumpy. Snow stared after her friends. What a lovely first day back day it was turning out to be. Snow set off after her friends, who had once again, began to bicker.

"Now, would you please put on the dragonhide gloves? We'll be needing them for Fauna Fonte - Fountain Flower. This tricky little plant is going to be used in Potions - 10 points to whoever can tell me what it's used for!"

Professor Longbottom smiled out at the crowd, waiting patiently. Snow glanced at Lily out of the corner of her eye, along with the rest of the class. Lily usually had her (not so)patient hand in the air, waiting to be called upon. This time, she was scribbling something on a piece of parchment. The Professor paused, then shrugged and resumed.

"Anyone? No? Come on - put those brains to work!"

Snow rolled her eyes at his antics. Did he honestly think that any of them cared? And yet, she was racking her brain for the answer. Snow liked potions, sure, but it wasn't her thing.

"The water that the Fauna Fonte recycles through it's intense filtering system is used in Potions for the Animio Blanc; also known as the healing waters. It's used to repair things that can't be unnaturally or magically regrown. As long as the water is always moving, such as through a fountain, then the environment will begin to heal naturally. It's used in places where Dark Magick has wreaked havoc and destroyed large areas."

Snow looked apprehensively at the plant. It had thick stems twining into light blue flowers that shimmered like the surface of water. A humming sound was radiating lightly from the thick petals, and Snow could barely hear the sound of water running through the hollow stems.

"Very good Miss Evans! 10 points to Slytherin. Now, I want you to carefully prick a hole in the thickest stem, but be careful, it's bound to be in the middle, and highly protected. Fauna Fonte will protect itself, as it's water has special magical properties. Spikes with rise out, so if you were holding the plant bare-handed, small spike red-hot spikes would be embedded into your skin. You need to hum, softly, in order to see if the plant will cooperate. Then, if it does, carefully insert the silver dagger, making a tiny hole, and put the stopper underneath. Be very careful not to spill anything. Now, off you go! Oh, and hum something soft, and not too fast. Now, split up into groups of 3 to 4, pick a plant, and start humming!"

Snow raised her eyebrow at Sam, who rolled her eyes at Professor Longbottom.

"They said he was a Herbology Master, one of the best ranked in all of Great Britain. I think he might have inhaled a bit too much Ellipsis while working in the garden."

Sam made a cuckoo face, and Snow giggled, while Lily sniffed, scribbling on - yet another - piece of parchment. Snow turned back to the plant.

"I guess we're doing this on our own. C'mon Sam, let's try to work."

"OWWWW!"

"What happened?"

"IT BIT ME!"

"Checkmate."

"Bloody hell."

"Pass 'em over."

"I hate you."

"I only beat you once. You've beaten me hundreds of times."

Snow walked over to Sam and Avery Valentino, a 5th Year Slytherin. The two were sitting in front of the green fire, crackling slightly. They were both seated in front of a marble chessboard, watching the black king being mercilessly beaten by the opposing white queen as Avery tossed a couple chocolates her way. She sat down next to Sam, not saying anything. The three simply watched as the black king let out a dying scream, them crumble into pieces. Avery scowled and twirled his wand, sending all the chess pieces on the board back together, making them whole again. Sam was, yet again, playing chess with Avery. A second year named Septimus Vance was petting a miniature black Daemon, who was watching the match with interested eyes. Snow looked around the common room. By the end of the first day back, everyone had settled back into the regular Slytherin attitude. In the Head Boy's room, Xavier and Ophelia was holding court with the fellow 7th and 6th years, Bianca and James were sitting on a cushion, talking quietly, while most of the first and second years were in their dormitories playing games. Snow relaxed as she saw Gwen, Raven, and Ev all sneak out of the common room, no doubt off to wreak havoc. She had been worried that Gwen was really hurt, but knowing Gwen she had sulked for awhile and then bounced right back. Snow thought about Tom, once again. She wondered what he was up to. Just as Snow was about to rise, Tom strode into the common room.

Looking at him, Snow felt compelled to go to him. She didn't know why, but she did know that he was powerfully charismatic. There was something about him that drew her to him -made her want to be by his side. She could sense he was going places, and she wanted to be right there, watching it all. For a second, something seemed to flash in his eyes as Tom looked at her - then a smile broke out and he walked over quietly, each footstep making no more noise than a feather would.

"Snow! How was your day? You came late to Herbology, what held you? Those plants were rather interesting, such powerful properties. I heard that with the right poison dipped into the fountain made of the potion, then you can poison the entire area. Fascinating, how such a powerful healing shield can be turned into a destructive weapon."

"Actually"

Lily walked up behind Tom, shooting him a contemptuous look that surprised Snow.

"When done improperly, the poison will only be absorbed into the potion and the water will become stronger. However, if carefully done with a special ritual, the potion will slowly kill the surrounding area, poisoning it incredibly effectively. The only remedy comes in doses of a powerful extreme-Light Magic, and this only works for short periods of time. There is no sure cure for this fountain, but it takes years to just shape the very fountain itself, not to mention the precise details of the potion and it's transformation into the fountain."

Tom blinked, as did Snow. Lily was usually a Miss Know-It-All, but never this bad, and she was never quite that haughty when speaking to another Slytherin. Snow wondered what was up her butt as Lily sat down next to Septimus, when Tom spoke again, sitting down next to Snow.

"That's neat, thanks for sharing."

Tom smiled at Lily, but she sniffed slightly and turned to Septimus.

"Hallo war Septimus, wie Ihr Tag?"

Septimus grinned, thrilled to be conversing in his native language.

"Interessant, ist es groß, bei Hogwarts zurück zu sein. Ich wusste nicht, dass Sie Deutsches sprachen?"

Lily grinned back at the small boy.

"I'm quite fluent."

Snow rolled her eyes and turned to the raven-haired boy on her right.

"So how was your day?"

Tom paused, flicking his eyes to LIly, but she was deep into an intense conversation in german with Septimus. He turned to Snow once more, opening his mouth to speak, when he was cut off.

"Hey, Tom, that's your name right?"

Avery was looking up at Tom with a glint of something in his eyes. Tom nodded at the boy, closing his mouth once more. Avery cocked his head, motioning at the chessboard.

"Feel like a game?"

The next 40 minutes were spent in a war of intellect and debate, agonizing over every move in a rather fast-paced game of chess that confused everyone by the moves, except for the players themselves.

When Avery finally won, after the grueling match, he pretended to wipe sweat from his bow and shook Tom's hand.

"Good game. But I still won."

"Rematch. Tomorrow."

"It's on!"

Avery and Tom grinned at each other, both looking excited and determined. Avery, to defend his title. and Tom, to prove himself. Snow smiled a little bit. It seemed Tom was fitting in after all.

"Please... Stop. You don't have to do this."

"You don't understand. Things are changing around here. The Light shall no longer blind us all - Dark Magick is returning, freed from it's impressment. The tide is changing. Take solace - you will be the first to fall to it's clutches."

"Please."

The word was a mere whisper, faint. The life was almost gone from them.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. I know - I've died before."

There was a flash of purple light, and then all was still.

*Finite*

Kisses & Cupcakes to anyone who reviews!


	3. The High Counsel and Poisonous Hearts

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything, just some characters.

A/N: Chapter 2 is up! And I'm inspired enough that I'm furiously typing Chapter 3. Please, please, please - if you're reading this, even a couple words on how lame it was would be enough to keep me going. I know, you're very busy and don't have time to review every book you read, but a tiny tidbit of opinion is fire for my soul. ^_^ Anyway, back to the book!

*Begin*

Snow groaned as she flopped on the couch, in a darkened corner of the Slytherin Common Room. This day had taken forever, already 2 weeks had passed at Hogwarts and the homework was piling up. Sam was off flying the pitch with her team, flying drills and testing them. She was Co-Captain, after all, and Sam took Quidditch very seriously. It was her life. Snow should be out there too, but Lily cornered her this morning at breakfast, talking about how she was acting more like a Hufflepuff than the Snake she was. Snow gave in to her incessant demands and was now spending this beautiful saturday inside. Reading dusty old books. And writing essays. Ugh. Snow turned another page of the ancient tome she was reading, sighing again. This was one of those days were everything was going to be sucky, wasn't it? Snow heard someone walk up the dormitory steps, and looked over. Tom walked out from the passageway down to the boy's rooms, muttering something as he read through a scroll, eyes scanning the parchment frantically. He looked up, eyes passing over the room, and seemed not to notice her. Snow froze, being completely still. Tom stretched out gracefully on the couch, almost like a lithe jungle cat. Graceful and dangerous.

Snow was about to call out, but froze as he muttered something under his breath. She paused, staring at him. This was a chance to observe him, without anyone around. Snow used a wandless, non-verbal spell to make herself invisible. and settled down to watch Tom. He seemed tense, worried, as he stared at the parchment in his hand. Quietly reading it, he seemed focused. She wondered what news made him clench his hands so, furrowing his brow. He was a rather handsome guy, after all. Dark, dark blue eyes, finely arched brows with narrow eyebrows, a strong chin and thin cheeks. His shoulders were well-proportioned. All in all, he was striking. And he was charming, Snow thought to herself. So charming. But so far, Snow only had her observations. He put up a hell of a chess match, seemed to have a liking for all subjects except Transfiguration, he liked the classic pumpkin juice and roast beef sandwiches, and seemed to have a quiet brilliance. He was very good at spells, like he had been in advanced classes at his old school before and was simply placed back to this level once he was here.

But Snow didn't know a thing about him. So removing the spell, Snow rolled over, ignoring Tom. Just as she predicted, he jumped a mile, dropping the fat roll of parchment he was reading. He stared at her, shocked, as Snow stared at the book, trying her hardest to pretend she didn't notice him.

"How long have you been here?"

His voice was rough, harsh even, as he snapped at her. Snow blinked in surprise.

"I mean.. You scared me. Seriously, how long were you there?"

"I've been here since after breakfast. You mean you haven't noticed me?"

Snow feigned surprise as she stared at him. Tom relaxed and smiled easily at her.

"I've been very involved in the paper. Letters from home, notes on my homeland, a diary of sorts. It's very important for me to put my thoughts on paper. So what are you working on?"

Snow launched into an explanation of the history of the charm she was researching, while Tom stuffed the roll into his robes. She never noticed the gleam in his eyes as he scribbled something down, shoving it into his pockets, then settling beside her, playing the role of a devoted listener perfectly.

Tom Riddle is back at Hogwarts, and while everything seems calm, a ripple of unease is spreading through the land outside of Hogwarts. The students are oblivious - except for a certain High One, and his personal Counsel.

"I've called you all here to meet about events outside our boundaries. The ruling range is something that will change soon, but this is something we don't have power over. There are whispers in the shadows of something coming, of the winds changing."

Xavier Zabini looked out at his Counsel of High Ones, the very few who had his (almost) complete trust and faith (he was a Slytherin, after all). Ophelia Azzuro looked up at Xavier, eyes curious. Xavier mentally drooled as he stared into those dark blue-green, captivating eyes. He'd only been after Ophelia since First Year - and she damn well knew it. There was a smirk tugging in her lips as she looked at him, then smoothed out her expression as he looked at the others. There was a Seventh Year from every house, amazingly enough - basically unheard of, in any alliance. Yet, from Hufflepuff was Sarabi Spinnet, a pure-blood who was deceptively clever and could wheedle information out of everyone, but put on a air-headed front. She always knew what was going on, and who was involved, before it happened. And there, Laertes DuPre, Head Boy of Gryffindor House. He was a bit stubborn, but held much respect among the Light, and so was a useful ally, and he had been proven trustworthy over and over. But he was quite new to the Politics the purebloods played, so it was best to keep things simple with him. From Ravenclaw, Blanche Delacour-Weasley. Part Veela, with a temper and a fiery French spirit, she was quick-witted and sharp, often prone to arguments though. She was beautiful and dangerous, much like her mother, Fleur Weasley. Then, of course, there was him, and Ophelia, from Slytherin. The females outnumbered, but Ophelia didn't participate much, so it evened the playing ground.

Sarabi spoke up, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you talking about? I have heard nothing of unease in the country - it seems to be flourishing under the new Light Ruler. Harry Potter for President."

Sarabi snorted derisively, sarcastic tone sharp, and crossed her arms, while everyone chuckled. They all had different ideas on how to rule, but together they usually were best. However, there was one thing they all agreed on: Harry Potter, Light extremist, should not be ruling. Sarabi stood up from her spot on the couch, over-dramatizing her every movement.

"Oh, I'm the Chosen One, slap a scar on my head and I'll prance around as you grovel at my feet! I can't believe my family thinks so highly of him. They have him round for dinner all the time. Probably because his wife doesn't have a clue how to cook. But he doesn't have a clue how to rule."

"The pressures are getting to him, his hair's turning gray and he's only about 40! But he still combs it to show off that scar. I wonder if we could curse it off?"

"Oooooh, oui oui! He would look like such an âne! Besides, we all know it's really that wife of his. Hermione Potter, most powerful mudblood - Bah! I heard she's driven him to drink with her attitude, seems there's trouble in the Potter household. I hope her hair falls out and her skin wrinkles like crazy, she'd look like the hag she really is!"

Laertes chuckled again, rolling his eyes at Blanche as he stretched out on the floor.

"You're just jealous she's prettier and has more power than you."

"Allez meurent Laertes. She's ugly. I am part Veela. That bitch can f*ck herself if she thinks she can mess with me. I'd like to see her try, I'd claw her face up so bad. She thinks she can suppress my kind. Bah! Anyway, Xavier, I can see we are annoying you. What were you saying?"

Xavier looked up, startled. He had forgotten the Veela sensitivity to emotions.

"Yes, well. High Counsel has been called to order. We need to quash this and keep it from getting to Hogwarts, as this is our ruling ground. Hogwarts is where we make our futures, and this is our last year. So if any of you catch wind of anything that even sniffs of suspicion, snuff it out!"

"Alluring alliteration, my dear Zabini, but don't you think that it would be better to bring them before us? We could find out, just what exactly is going on that is making you worry, and, per say, take care of the problem..."

Ophelia bared her teeth in a feral smile, purposefully adding a strike to her statement. Laertes and Sarabi stared at Ophelia, shocked, while Blanche grinned in a similar matter from her perch on his desk. Veela. Ophelia had quite a bit of Veela blood too, and Blanche and Ophelia shared many of the same views. Xavier remembered how they both enjoyed playing with their prey.

"Fine. Do what you will, just flush it out. I want instant updates the second anything happens. Now, on to the second order of business. We have a rarity in Slytherin House. A transfer, Third Year, who nobody knows much about. He claims to have an understanding of the Slytherin politics, even saying that he grew up with a much more complicated system. He won't tell anyone where he came from, or what his plans are. He seems intelligent, charming, ambitious, and dangerous. His name is Tom Riddle."

"Tom Riddle?"

Ophelia spoke up again, shifting from her place on his bed. Xavier blinked - she had spoken up twice in one meeting? Unheard of.

"That seems to ring a bell."

Ophelia frowned. Xavier glanced at her, and she shook her head slightly, flicking her eyes to the rest of the Counsel. They were staring. Xavier plowed on, sure that she would talk to him after the meeting. She usually did.

"Anyway, he seems to be getting close to Snow. I'm sure you all know about Snow, she's showed much promise, but unfortunately something seems to be holding her back. Her cousin, Gwen, is also competition, but Snow seems to view Gwen as more of a nuisance than anything else. Personally, I'm very fond of Gwen, she has all the qualities Slytherin prized. Snow, however, seems to be turning out more like a Gryffindor. She's completely devoted to her friends, doesn't seem to care much about grades, and doesn't have any sorts of goals set for later. If we don't intervene, the main heir to the Black family will not be able to bring what is needed or do what is required. Also, the Merce clan is scarce - we need to focus on bringing them back up. There's only one male heir left to carry on the line, Wren. I was considering the possibilities of joining the Malfoy clan with the Merce clan, as they are one of the biggest clans here. Suggestions, comments?"

Blanche looked at Xavier, tilting her head.

"I hate to say this, but you need Weasley blood. Alessandra, possibly? Just think of the possibilities of a Malfoy-Zabini and Merce-Weasley joining. The Weasley clan is incredibly fertile, and growing nearly every year. The Malfoy clan too, and the Zabini clan has always wrought beautiful children. By carefully mixing certain blood clans, we could experiment with an entirely new clan! Also, since Wren is one of the few Merces left, we could make a new clan using his name and blood. It's a possibility, and a dangerous one at that, but still, the option remains."

Laertes looked a little startled.

"But... You wouldn't force him to create a new bloodline, would you?"

Sarabi raised her eyebrows at Laertes.

"He'd be more than willing to help recreate his bloodline. He's as worried as anyone else is. He told me if it came down to it he might have to impregnate his cousin!"

Laertes looked horrified. Xavier sighed as he watched Sarabi try to swallow her giggles, and Blanche and Ophelia share matching smirks. Sometimes Xavier wondered if those two were related, or if it was just the Veela.

"Stop it Sarabi. Laertes, it isn't as bad as it sounds. Anyway, how are all of your houses doing?"

"Well, Gryffindor is good, Nick Malfoy is a great Keeper, excellent Captain. Him and his friend, Mouth, seem to like playing tricks. Caleb Potter, Matt Weasley, and Evan Snape are up to their usual - Seems they're planning a Back-to-Hogwarts Bash in the Room of Requirement. That boy manages to know where everyone is at all times, and Albus is always sneaking around. He's tricky for a first year. But at least he got his mothers smarts, thank god. Hows Hufflepuff?"

"Hufflepuff is good, besides some scandal going on with Shane and his secret boyfriend. I'd be careful Blanche - Monny and Shane seem to think it's a good idea to try and fool the It girl of Hogwarts. They began dating over the summer, but in order to hide it Monny is pretending to date Artemis, but Artemis doesn't have a clue about the pretending part. Also, we found that Honeydukes is going to come out with a new chocolate to feed to your enemies - immobilizes them for up to 10 seconds, making it easy to cast curses and have an advantage. I'd be careful and monitor who's buying them. Ravenclaw?"

"Ravenclaw is excellent, besides Artemis being a snooty little bitch. We have a special instructor coming to train a few of our younger students, and the triplets are showing great promise in telekinetic abilities, they've been training every night. Quentin is our new Chaser, finally replaced Jones. He's out with a broken arm, for some reason it won't take to magical healing so he's going about it the muggle way, letting it set and mend naturally. He's also been experimenting with cures combining magical and muggle means. It's quite interesting, really. Also, seems to be a love interest between two Slytherin boys and a Ravenclaw girl. Matheui Valentino, and James Malfoy? Tatiana Hughes is the prized possession. Anyway, just an update, I'm keeping an eye on it - especially with a Valentino and Malfoy involved. Slytherin?"

Ophelia spoke up.

"Slytherin is flourishing, so far this year. It may only be the first week, but after taking a look at our numbers, we have many of the older clans back into the running circle. This means more power is bound to show itself in an outbreak, so be prepared. Changes are coming. Also, Snow and her little buddies, and Gwen and her two friends seem to like causing trouble. Gwen more so, Snow and her friends enjoy taunting Caleb and his friends. They are, of course, arch enemies. Tom Riddle is really the hottest gossip, as his charm seems to be winning over a few people, slowly. I don'y see much wrong with him, he looks to be a model Slytherin and student, Straight-O type. Wealthy and ambitious. My main worry is Merce and a suitable match - we need to find someone to pair him with. I like the idea of Alessandro, she's bound to be incredibly fertile with both Zabini and Weasley blood. That's it."

Xavier nodded at his Counsel. News was good, this year was bound to be off to a good start.

"Okay. The High Counsel is now dismissed - you all have places to be and people to manipulate, get moving. Blanche, put that back."

Sarabi laughed as she swept out the door, Laertes following after her. Blanche pouted as she put the glass paperweight back, long legs stretching out as she leaped gracefully off the desk.

"Goodbye, Zabini. Ophelia, I'll talk to you later... We have many things to discuss, my sister."

Ophelia smirked at Blanche, winking as Blanche walked out, closing the door behind her. Xavier looked at Ophelia.

"Tom Riddle?"

She frowned, looking distracted.

"I don't know. I just seem to recall somebody saying something about Harry Potter and Tom Riddle, but there's no way that bumbling oaf could have anything to do with the charming, handsome, engaging young man in Slytherin."

Xavier felt a stab of jealousy as Ophelia described Tom.

"Hmm. Thanks. So, I need to talk to you-"

Ophelia gasped as the silvery tattoo flashed on her wrist.

"Sheesh. I never could get used to that. Listen Xavier, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm needed places."

Ophelia was off his bed and out the door in seconds, leaving Xavier staring after her, a crestfallen look on his face.

Snow, Sam, and Lily walked down the corridor, talking quietly about the newest gossip of Hogwarts.

"I heard they got into a fight, and she was so mad she hexed his head into a pumpkin!"

"No, I heard cabbage, it's always a cabbage, because they smell weird."

"Anyway, she got a necklace from a secret admirer, with a note, and it turned her skin green! She, of course, blamed him, and of course he's 'completely innocent' so all their friends are taking sides now."

"Did you hear about Octavius and Druella? I heard they were caught holding hands - isn't that the cutest thing ever!"

"I heard Ricky Weasley was crushing on a Ravenclaw, an older girl. I'm not sure who though."

"Look! Here comes the trio now!"

All three girls stared as Matt Weasley, Evan Snape, and Caleb Potter made their way down the hall to Potions. The three boys stopped in front of them, varying looks on their faces. Matt looked annoyed, Evan the usual blank look, and Caleb was sneering.

"I can't believe your clothes aren't covered in goo! I heard what happened - such a shame, they never caught the culprit. I'm so sorry, you poor, pathetic little Slytherins."

Caleb's voice dripped sarcasm, as Sam glared, while Lily snapped back,

"I'm surprised you can even pronounce culprit, you jerk. You don't have enough brain cells to pronounce a 3-syllable word."

"Ooooooh. So scary, little snake. We lions have claws and maws, though, and you snakes only have scales and tails."

"You forgot our poisonous fangs, prat."

Snow bared her teeth in a grimace, while Sam and Lily snickered.

"Causing trouble in the hallway again, Potter?"

Gwen and her two buddies sashayed over to Snow, sending haughty, contemptuous looks over at Caleb and his friends.

"You should know by now we don't take any of your crap, you pathetic moron. Go bother somebody with zero self-esteem, because we aren't affected by your half-witted comebacks."

Snow shared a fleeting smile with Gwen, and instantly knew everything was forgiven.

"Why Snow, do you need your own cousin to back you up?"

_"Levicorpus!"_

Out of nowhere, Tom popped up in the hallway, flicking his wand at Caleb. He went zooming up, dangling from the air by his ankle. All the Slytherins, gathered around the dungeon door, began to laugh as he struggled. But the Gryffindors began shouting. Matt plunged his hands into his robes, whipping out his wand.

_"Avis!"_

Tiny golden birds shot like a bullet from his gun, flying at Tom. He whipped his wand across the air, making a shield, but one got though just before he blocked. It hit him straight in the arm, creating a long scratch that beaded blood as it fell to the ground. Tom pointed his wand at it, muttering a quiet spell, as it turned into a tiny bead. The distraction of the birds had made the spell Tom had shot at Caleb stop, and he was now lying on the floor, rubbing his head as he stood up.

"Watch it, Slytherin."

Caleb spat at him, glaring with a hateful look on his face, usually reserved for Snow.

Snow stepped forward, glaring at Caleb.

"You watch it. Next time, maybe your little friends won't be there to watch your back."

"The same to you."

"What is going on here?"

Potions Professor Granetti stepped out, looking at them all.

"Nothing."

They all chorused in unison, filing into the classroom.

"Mhmmm. Anyway, turn to page 454, instructions are on the board."

"What are you doing here? This area is off limits to anyone not in 6th year and above."

_"Hssyass."_

"Excuse me?"

"_Ssshassynis"_

"Stop it! Stop whatever you're doing, right now!"

_"SSSSAYASASYNTH!"_

"AHHHHHH! SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE! ARHH-"

The gurgling noise cut off as the hypnotic poison seeped into her veins.

_"Back to your bed, my love, or else we shall be caught."_

_"Sssssss."_

The only notion that there had ever been someone there was the purple glow that alit in the girl's eyes, and faded as she climbed back up.

The slithering noise, one that sounded of scales sliding over the marble floors, she decided she had imagined.

"Have you done as I asked?"

_"Yesss, my lord. Everything iss ass according to plan. Already there are 2 sstudentsss under your command."_

"That is not enough. We need more."

_"My lord, it iss only the ssecond week!"_

"Work harder."

_"Yess, masster."_

"Soon I shall have the castle, and everyone shall know my name. He thwarted me once, but he has grown old, and foolishly over-confident. I shall have my revenge on the boy with the scar."

_"Yess, masster."_

Caleb Potter sat brooding in Gryffindor Common Room.

"Stupid Slytherins. Always get away with everything, sneaking around. Ugh!"

Evan merely looked at Caleb, while Matt made a noise sounding vaguely of sympathy, nose still buried in his book.

"Thanks for the support, you guys."

"If you weren't so prejudiced, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

"Every witch or wizard who's gone bad is in Slytherin!"

"Not true! What about the brilliant masterminds from Ravenclaw? Or the traitors from Gryffindor? There were Gryffindors on the Dark Side in the last war, you know. And we can't leave out Hufflepuff - though everyone does seem to forget Hufflepuff."

"Would you just shut it and agree with me? I just want to get some anger out by raging at the Slytherins and here you go and destroy my self-righteous anger!"

Caleb huffed, trying not to laugh. Matt smiled faintly, and went back to his book. Caleb looked over at Evan.

"Why are you so quiet?"

"I can't stop thinking about her."

"Who?"

"Her."

"Who's her?"

Evan looked into the fire, staring moodily at it.

"You don't want to know. She's off limits, anyway."

Matt looked up from his book.

"You know, this is the most you've ever talked."

Evan looked over at Matt.

"Shut up, you prat."

"Hey you guys!"

Nick Malfoy came into Gryffindor Common Room, beaming at nothing in particular. His bestfriend, Eric Villagomez, came in after him, shaking his hair like a wet dog, spraying water everywhere.

"What happened? Why are you all wet?"

"Haven't you noticed? It's raining?"

Nick grinned at nothing in particular, flopping onto an armchair with a bit too much oomph.

"Cheering Charm. Overdid it"

Eric mouthed, motioning to Nick, who was now humming.

Caleb stifled a laugh, as Matt chuckled behind his book.

"We ought to use one on you!"

Eric grinned at Evan, who was yet again staring at the fire.

Nick seemed to come back to the universe again, but still overly happy.

"Little sister got you down?"

Caleb looked at Nick.

"Evan doesn't have a little sister. Have you mistakenly taken Essence of Insanity?"

Nick laughed, the sound a bit hysterical.

"Not Evan's little sister. Mine!"

Caleb, Eric, and Matt all whipped their heads around to stare at Evan, who was wide-eyed, staring at Nick. Nick, however, was staring at the ceiling, singing a song about a weasel.

"What?"

Evan looked blown away.

"Why would he think I was in love with his sister?"

He protested weakly, still staring.

"Cheering Charms must have temporarily addled his brains."

Matt announced, going back to his book. Eric nodded and sat by the fire, pointing his wand at his clothes to dry them off.

"Hmmm."

Caleb said offhandedly, still a bit curious. They had never said Evan was in love with Gwen. Ah well. Maybe Evan was jumping to conclusions just as he was.

"_Yessss... Come closssser."_

"Awe look! It's a cute little snake! Here, snakey-snakey!"

"_Come clossser little Hufflepuff... Naive little girl. Come on, closssser, away from your friendsss."_

"Ewww! I'm not touching that!"

"_Clossssssser."_

"Oh Rosie, don't be silly. It won't hurt me, it's harmless! Here-"

The little Hufflepuff walked further into the bush, stretching out her hand to her.

"_Yessss. You are mine now, ssssmall girl. Massster will be mossst pleasssed."_

"Ow!"

Her eyes flashed purple, and a strangely blank look flashed over her face as the snakes fangs hit her wrist.

"Sheila!"

Then any notion that the event had happened disappeared, and the girl returned to normal.

"It bit me! Come on Rosie, let's go. We need to go to Care of Magical Creatures."

"_Yesss, my child. You are a mosst willing sssubject."_

*Finite*


End file.
